Homemade Spreder Bar

[DominusJames]

I was really sick of seeing spreader bars online for £30 cheapest and some were even £100. So i set out on making my own for around £5 or less.
By simply taping some strong electrical tape to each end of a hollow bar i found in a yard sale i had produced my DIY spreader bar for only £5.

[lj]

you might also like to try using broom handles, easily cut to length, and screw some eyelets into the ends. Just pre-drill holes for the eyelets as otherwise the wood might split (endgrain tends to do this). Price is similar and easier to use as you can lock cuffs and chain onto the eyelets.

If you put an eyelet into the centre of the rod as well, you can make up some interesting combinations, an "H" with one long and two short bars for example.

[SteelMan]

Don't underestimate the value of a trip to a hardware store either. Wooden dowels, PVC pipe, and metal pipe all perform well when making spreader bars.

As mentioned earlier with wood, an eyebolt in each end of the spreader bar may be sufficient, though there is the issue of the wood cracking.

If you have a length of chain slightly longer than a section of PVC or metal pipe, then running it through the length of the pipe and using the links at the very end of the chain as attachment points may suffice. Few things are as easy and secure as the metal pipe and chain.

Hardware stores are so much fun

[iceman]

I made my last one from the handle of a snowbrush. the brush was shot but the handle happened to be adjustable, removed the brush and ice scrapers from the ends and drilled a hole through ends and put and 'S' hook through the hole and clamped it down. It adjusts from around 2 feet to a little over 4 feet long and has a twist lock in the middle.

[bobbi]

mine are dowel rod and eye screws on the end that can be locked to cuffs. cost like 6 american each.

[teather]

Mine are made from 5 cm diameter mopstick handrail with eye hooks screwed into the ends- £2.25 per metre - it comes in 5 metre lengths so can easily be sawn to any practical length. From Jewson (uk)

50 cm homemade spreader bar